Native Affairs.

Cromwell Argus, Volume III, Issue 121, 5 March 1872, Page 6

Native Affairs.

Tho appearance of the celebrated William King among Europeans is an interesting and significant episode in the history' of our relations with tho natives. The Defence Oilica | has supplied the IVdlm'jtm Ind'pmlmt with a few particulars, which are sufficiently interesting to admit of reproduction : —William King has for many years past resolutely re-! jected all efforts to induce him to “come in.” Successive Governors have endeavoured fruitlessly to persuade him to abandon his atti-, tudo of sullen isolation in the upper Waitara, district, and native chiefs have hitherto been equally unsuccessful in this direction. But at last, quite unsolicited, William King lias j made up his mind to sulk no longer : and we hear that he is now on his way to attend a: large meeting of natives which is to be held shortly at Paraihaka. This chief has not been in New Plymouth since the Waikato war, and his visit is regarded, by those who j know the man and the circumstances of his long isolation, as indicative of a desire on his j part, as on the part of his people, to live on j friendly terms with the settlers. This result! has no doubt been hastened by the confidence i which the natives generally are gaining in ; the peaceful, but firm, policy of the Government. Another chief, Aliitana, one of the I principal chiefs against ns in the war on the ! West Coast, also visited Now Plymouth a I short time ago, with his people, and passed j on to the place of the forthcoming native i meeting, at which about one hundred Waikatos, who are now on their way, will he i present. The meeting is not supposed to i have any significance. It appears to have i been got up by the natives fur the purpose of i having a great feast, and a kororo about things in general. Another large meeting is talked of as likely to occur in the King country soon. The party and the Waikatos have solicited the Native Minister to attend it, which he will probably do, in company with the Governor, in a few weeks. On all sides there are evidences that a wonderful change is taking place in the attitude of the natives; and from almost every quarter offers of peaceful ihtersourse arc coming in. The “native difficulty” is no longer the bugbear of New Zealand.